… Otherwise known as BSP or Blatant Self-Promotion and SSP, shameless self promotion. Now, I have to be honest here, I have a real problem doing any kind of self-promotion. Yeah, yeah, I know, a little hard to believe from me but there you go. I’ve actually been told a time or two that I don’t do it enough. I want to have my books stand on their own, for some magic fairy to come out of the sky, tap them with her fairy wand and *poof* they’re on the best seller list. (Oh… and just so you know… that doesn’t work. )
So self-promotion is a necessary evil – how else do we get our names known, get our book or books out there where people can see them? Continue reading “Spam Spam Spam”
When should a writer hire an editor, someone asked – after the first draft or the final draft? My first, facetious answer – When it’s done?
First draft? Um, no…
After I finished cleaning up the wine that shot through my nose when I started laughing – not a pretty sight and it scared the cats – I’m afraid I might have responded a little harshly to what was a fair question from a new writer. But after all a little logic could be applied, as a ‘first’ draft implies that there will be others, or you’d just call it the final draft. I’d also like to add that you should know your craft, spelling, the basics of grammar, etc.
But the question of drafts and when to bring in an editor is a fair one.
One other thing before I answer that, if your vision of an editor is of someone who has tons of time to nurture your talent and polish your manuscript until it is a thing of beauty and a joy to behold… reality check. Only if you’re independently wealthy. Editing a novel is not the same as reading one, it takes a lot more time. Continue reading “Oh Editor, is it getting drafty in here?”
I’m the newest addition on the staff. Yes, you can call me Val, everyone does even though when they ask if I prefer Valerie, and say yes, they still call me Val. So I’ve given up. *grins* Just call me Val.
Wow, what a weird wonderful year it’s been. At this time last year I didn’t even know this weird guy named Stephen Hise.
I was still publishing through a small press back then – in fact, my latest would be coming out in a few weeks – and I’d learned a lot from them but they hadn’t proved to be the boost to my writing career as I’d hoped. I had eleven or so novels in my back pocket written over the span of years that weren’t going anywhere. No, I won’t tell you how old I am. Let’s just say I remember assassinations and moon landings. Now, you have to understand that I’m a bit of a perfectionist – it comes from having a German (second generation) engineer for a father. He was also a Gemini, kind of cool and intellectual. But I digress. So I mined the internet, gathering every bit of information I could find on improving my writing, creating a pretty comprehensive list of all the standard mistakes writers make. I attended conventions (fortunately a big one was held here in Columbus Uhioh *that’s how they pronounce it here*.). I wrote and rewrote query letters. I had gotten close – an agent who actually called me at home on a Saturday – then backed away. A request for a full from a major publishing house…who then took over a year to let me know they weren’t taking my manuscript. (Truth be told, I’d already given up on them and sold it to my small press publisher – it was the one just coming out.)
It was getting pretty frustrating. I had self-published a book in print form – I really wanted to hold a book of my own in my hand before I died – but the whole e-book revolution was just taking off. Kindles were out, the Nook was coming out in color… I was seeing lots of fairy tales and scare stories about Indie publishing. (Don’t self publish, real publishers won’t take you. Self-publishing is just vanity publishing. Most self-publishers don’t make any money.) However I still had those novels languishing in my back pocket – good work, especially two or three of them – and they weren’t going anywhere. What did I have to lose… Continue reading “Hello everyone, I’m Valerie”
